Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-22
THREE ELEPHANT STORIES.
freed. by m Angry Brute-An Intrepid
&. Beast In Battle. a:S Esg IS. Ss

&aA6xs6- Lam = 6lOk616S3s
freed by m Angry Brute-An Intrepid
| Beast In Battle. ST
| London Times. 53s35s
Major Rogers had been out shooting,
and had discharged al his guns, when
an elephant made . charge at him from
the skirts Of the Jungle. There was no
help for it except to run, and for 400
yards the Major kept ahead, feeling at
every step as II the trunk was trying to
twist itself about his loins. A turn
around a tree gave him nomentary
advantage, which he made the most of
by springing up into the branches; he
| was as nlmble as a cat and as strong as
lion. One foot higher and he would have
been out of the elephants reach; but
before he had time to draw up his legs
the elephant had got him firmly clinch-
cd in the tolls Of his proboscis. Still,
Rogers pulled against him, thinking it
was better to have his leg wrenched
from the socket than to fall back bodily
| into the animals power. The struggle,
however, did not last long, for, to the
delight OF the pursued and the chagrin
Of the pursuer, the Wellington boot,
which the former wore, slipped off, re-
leased the leg, and saved the life of
poor Rogers. The dilemma, however,
did not end here, for the elephant, find
ing himself baked of his pray, after de-
stroying the boot, took up his quarters
beneath the branches and kept his an
ticipated victim in the tree for
"a hours, when the country post
man happened to pass by. Rogers
gave him notice of his position,
and soon help came, and the elephant
was frightened away by tom toms and
yelling. Had this occurred in a
deserted part of the jungle, the officer
must have been starved to death in the
tree.
There is beautiful story of an old
elephant engaged in battle on the
plains of India He was standard
bearer, and carried on his huge back
the royal ensign, the rally point of the
Poona host At the beginning of the
fight he lost his master. The "mahout,
Or driver, had just given him the word
TO halt, when he received fatal wound
and fell to the ground: where
lie lay under a heap of slain.
The obedient elephant stood still while
the battle closed around him and
the standard he carried. He never
stirred foot, refusing to advance OF
retire, as the conflict became hotter and
fiercer, until the Mahrattas, seeing the
standard still flying steadily in its place
refused to believe that they were being
beaten, and rallied again and again
round the colors. And all this while
| amid the din of battle, the patient ami
NAL stood straining its ears to catch the
sound of that voice he would never hear
again. At length the tide of conquest
left the field deserted. The Mahrattas
swept on in pursuit of the flying foe, but
the elephant, like rock, stood there,
with the Gead and dying around and
the ensign waving in its place. For
| three days and nights it remained
where its master had given the com.
mand to halt. No bride or threat coull
move it. They then sent to village
hundred miles away, and brought the
mahout's little son. The noble hero
seemed then to remember how the dri-
| YER had sometimes given his authority
TO the little child, and immediately
with all the shattered trappings cling
ing as he welt, paced quietly and slow
~ away.
"The native Hindoo," the narrator of
this story tells us, "from want of thought
keeps up constant drumming on the
beasts head with the goad, or 'ank u.s.
[, therefore, hoped not to use it at all.
Such an improvement all at once, how
ever, proved more than the elephantine
mind could comprehend. He began
really to enjoy himself, going his own
way more than mine, till at last he
marched straight into an immense for
asst tree of the banyan species and COM
menced to browse. BE seized the
boughs above his head, and, Juggling
violently at them, brought them down
on my devoted skull. This was too
much. raised the ankus and brought
it down on his head with blow that
brought blood through the skin. This
had the desired effect, and he at once
bundled off along the road by which he
knew wanted him to 60. He merely
took with him branch about the size
Of a small apple tree to discuss as we
went along. From this moment we
we're friends, and don't think I ever
bad to use the hook again so as to bring
blond